The road less travelled
by longkang
Summary: A romance fic. I'm not going to reveal the pairing yet. Feel free to guess, though.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_It all started after he… I still can't bring myself to accept the fact, but it has to be. Who would have foreseen that this would happen? He was always the best of us, the one who would refuse to give up, no matter the odds. He kept fighting on, even when there seemed to be no hope. For this to happen… no one expected it._

_As for Yanagi… her reaction was kind of surprising, to be honest. I guess she has changed… for the better after returning from H&H. She handled it better that any of us expected. I guess her brush with death changed her somehow… perhaps given her a new perspective of life. Fuuko was very surprised at first, thinking that Yanagi might do something stupid, but inwardly pleased when she took it calmly._

_In a way, I guess that it is a blessing in disguise that Koganei chose to go back in time with Kurei. He would not have to experience all this... If he had stayed, I suppose he would be in junior high now… the age where we started all our adventures. It seems an age ago… has it only been 6 years? Time does fly, doesn't it?_

_25th July, 2001_

* * *

"Chief, we have a hit."

Recca looked up from his paperwork, glad to have something to distract him from it. Hanabishi Recca, newly-promoted Lieutenant, having been in the National Police Agency for a couple of years, managed to build up a decent reputation as a gung-ho leader who led by example. Graduating from high school soon after the Tendo Jigoku affair, he joined the police force and worked his way up the ranks.

Recca loved his job. Preventing crimes and apprehending criminals were things that certainly agreed with his justice streak, something that he had since young. The only downside was that being a police officer was certainly not the most safest job in the world, which was a constant source of friction between him and Yanagi.

The case he was working on now involved a serial rapist and killer, possibly even a small gang, mainly targeting young women. Weeks, sometimes months would elapse between killings, with the bodies dumped at various locations. This made tracking the killers down difficult.

"How reliable is the source?" Recca asked, hopeful for a break in the case.

"Apparently, someone saw two men forcibly dragging a girl away. He heard the girl while he was out taking a leak," his assistant replied.

"In the middle of the night?" Recca asked, more hopeful now.

"The guy was unable to sleep," his assistant said, shrugging.

"Do we have an address?"

"Here," his assistant replied, handing over a slip of paper.

"Get a team in Briefing Room 2 in an hour," Recca ordered. "Let me think this through."

* * *

A few hours later, Recca and his men were at their destination, an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.

"Fujita, take 2 men to the back entrance," Recca ordered, striding forward to the front entrance. "We'll hit them simultaneously. You know what to do."

Gesturing to the rest of his men to follow him, he spoke to each of them, reminding them of their responsibilities in the operation and making sure that they were prepared for whatever might happen. His troopers, good men all, had worked with Recca before and knew him to be a brave leader, never asking anyone to do anything that he would not do himself.

The plan was a straightforward one. Two teams would storm in at the same time, causing confusion. That should catch the criminals unaware. While they were still in a state of shock, it would be a simple task then, to rescue the hostage and take the baddies down. Of course, there also exists the old adage of 'All plans go to hell once the first shot is fired', so contingency plans were in place, just in case. Confidence was high. They did not expect it to be easy, but they were sure they would get the job done quickly.

How wrong they were.

* * *

The warehouse appeared abandoned. However, appearances can be deceiving. In a room in a corner of the warehouse were 6 men, heavily tattooed. Sipping his tea, Kurosawa Tetsuo waited patiently for an update by his lackeys. Ever since his brother was arrested by the police and thrown into prison, Tetsuo had wanted revenge. Especially on this young upstart Hanabishi Recca - the one who arrested his brother.

_He will rue the day he crosses paths with the Yakuza._

The Yakuza, collectively known, are actually made up of 'families' each led by an oyabun, or family boss. They are further subdivided into smaller groups or clans, each possibly focusing on a different aspect of organised crime. A particular yakuza group may forbid drug trafficking while others may actively thrive in it. Some deal in human trafficking, prostitution and even in weapons. Tetsuo was from a family that had links with weapons dealers. Though it is difficult to obtain firearms in Japan, it is not impossible, which led to his 5 men holding Ingram MAC-10s, with 2 extra magazines each. He himself preferred a SIG P226 pistol.

"Boss, they're outside now," one of his henchman reported.

"Get ready. We'll give them a reception they won't forget," Tetsuo said calmly, cocking his P226.

* * *

Recca peeked his head around the entrance. Not a soul to be seen. Inside were huge rows of shelves lined with boxes. There were some wooden crates lying on the floor, with a forklift nearby. Recca drew his standard issue police revolver and reached for his radio.

"Fujita, now."

Recca waited for a few seconds, then heard the sound of a shotgun blast, likely one of Fujita's men blasting open a lock. He immediately rushed in, followed by 2 of his troopers. He saw a flash at the corner of his eye and instinctively slid down behind a large crate. And not a moment too soon, as bullets raked the position he was in just 2 seconds earlier. There was no mistaking the sound of automatic weapons fire. One of his men wasn't as lucky, however, and a stray round clipped him in the leg. Screaming as he went down, his partner quickly dragged him into cover.

"Shit!" Recca cursed, reaching for his radio again, back against the crate. "Command! This is Lieutenant Hanabishi! We have an officer down and need backup immediately! Under heavy weapons fire!" I repeat: send backup immediately!" Recca had to practically shout to be heard over the weapons fire.

_This is turning into hell! It's as if they knew we were coming!_

Recca knew that he had to take control of the situation, and that means knowing the enemy. How many of them. What sort of weapons they have. How much ammo. Whether they are working in a team. Experience. He risked a quick peep over the side of the crate.

_There!_

One of the enemy was standing partially behind a pillar, maybe 15 metres away. Recca aimed his revolver at his direction and fired. He did not hit, for it was not his intention to. He wanted to see how the enemy would react. The thug kept firing at Recca, then *click*

_Now!_

Recca turned and dashed toward the thug, who was frantically trying to change his magazine. His face registered a look of surprise when Recca fired two rounds into him.

_One down._

Just then, he heard a shot being fired, which he recognised as being from a revolver, followed by a scream. Attributing it to one of his men, he smiled grimly.

_That's number two._

Recca looked at the corpse in front of him. The first thing he noticed was the tattoos all over the body. Which means Yakuza.

_Crap._

Faced with this revelation, Recca was caught in a quandary. The Yakuza were not foes to be trifled with. He could pull his team out and wait for backup. Besides, one of his men was injured. However, this would give the criminals an opportunity to escape. There was the hostage to consider as well. Alternatively, he could continue the operation. The two dead thugs taught Recca much. It was very likely that the thugs did not have much teamwork. If the thug Recca killed had a partner with him, Recca would be the one lying dead now. Furthermore, the thug could have managed his ammunition better. This suggests inexperience. The second thug apparently died alone. It was a fair chance that they could be stopped.

His decision made, Recca carefully walked forward, eyes and ears alert. After walking across a row of shelves, he saw a girl wearing a high school uniform sitting on a chair, bound and gagged. She was unconscious. Recca crouched down beside another crate and observed the situation.

* * *

Tetsuo walked slowly, along the outer wall, away from the action. He held his P226 in a two-armed grip, pointing toward the ground. Holding a weapon close to your face, pointing upwards like they did in the movies was totally useless. At close range, it was easier to shoot the feet than the head.

He stopped when he had a clear line of sight to the hostage. Here was where he would wait. Recca would show up eventually. She simply happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Fairly attractive even. Tetsuo decided he and his men would have some fun with her after this whole affair was over.

After Recca Hanabishi lay dead at his feet.

Tetsuo knelt behind a pillar, not making any noise.

* * *

This part of the warehouse seemed to be quiet. He made his decision. Recca ran quickly, trying to reach the hostage. He knew it was a risk as he was exposing himself, but he simply could not bring himself to wait. Not when there was someone worth saving.

* * *

Tetsuo carefully took aim at the running police officer. Holding his P226 with both hands, he took a small breath and exhaled most of it, holding the rest in. His arms were steady. Taking careful aim, he squeezed the trigger.

As the trigger is squeezed, the bolt mechanism of the weapon is pushed forward, free of the spring behind the bolt assembly. The firing pin strikes the chambered round, which ignites the primer, exploding the propellant in the cartridge. The force of the mini explosion drives the bullet down the barrel of the P226 and the empty cartridge is ejected from the weapon.

Recca was hit before he even heard the gunshot.

* * *

The round ripping through his insides, he falls. Lying on the ground, he saw the one who shot at him. Lifting his head up slightly, he raised his revolver and pointed it toward the figure. His hand was shaking and his vision was getting blurred. It was a momentous effort, but the managed to squeeze the trigger. The blurred figure fell.

Breathe in. Breathe out. The pain hit him.

_Yanagi… I…_

Then darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Recca,_

_They say that time heals all wounds. Do you think this is true? _

_Like the wound that Kurei inflicted on you when you were a baby, all wounds will eventually leave a scar, becoming a part of us. Healed? Possibly. Forgotten? Never. _

_I remember the day we first met. You saved me from that… creep, and got beaten up badly in the process. At first, I thought you a weirdo, though I was happy that I had the inspiration to draw Flameman (I know it's not that good). But as time went by, something about you attracted me. If you asked me exactly when I fell in love with you, I would say I don't know. It's probably a gradual thing._

_In a sense, you embodied your element. Fiery and passionate. You can be quick to anger, but only for the things that you strongly believe in. Like the flame that sputters but is not extinguished, your determination and never-say-die attitude defined your life. Though I accepted it, I never really agreed with your decision to be a police officer. But I am glad that you found something that you could believe in._

_Though it took you away from me._

_And therein lies the problem. How can I just accept that you are truly gone? Without any warning whatsoever? It seems like yesterday that you rescued me from H&H. You said that we would travel the world together, with all our friends. You said you wanted to find out what happened to Kurei and Koganei. You said you wanted to help out at the kindergarten where I work. You said you wanted to meet my parents to ask for my hand in marriage when you had the capability to start a family. You said that we would be able to live happily together._

_None of this will happen now._

_At the very least, I am happy to have known you, to have loved you these past few years. Thank you, Recca, for showing me what life can be like._

_For the final time,_

_Yanagi_

_27th July, 2001_

* * *

It was a somber day.

The funeral hall was a large one. Yanagi walked in, supported by Fuuko, now a wildlife photographer, who rushed back from Africa when she heard the news.

"Thank you Fuuko, but I can manage alone," Yanagi said calmly. "You should go help Domon and Ganko."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Fuuko asked, voice full of concern for her friend.

Yanagi nodded. "I would like to pay my respects to Recca alone."

"All right," Fuuko replied. "I'll be at the entrance if you need me."

With that, Fuuko turned back and walked to the entrance of the funeral hall where Domon and Ganko were. Since Recca's family was small, the Hokage chipped in to help. Ganko's job for the day was the receptionist, taking care of the registry book for the guests to sign as well as noting down the condolence money, or _koden_, collected, to be presented to the family after the funeral. Fuuko and Domon were to greet the people who came to pay their respects.

"Where's Mikagami?" Domon asked.

"His flight's delayed. Don't worry, he won't miss it," Fuuko replied.

"I still can't believe that Recca's gone," Domon sputtered out, wiping away a tear.

"Yeah. Imagine how Yanagi must be feeling. I'm really worried for her," Fuuko answered.

Domon sighed and turned to look at Yanagi, now in front of the altar.

* * *

Yanagi stood in front of the table where the altar was, staring at the photograph of Recca. There was really nothing much that she could say or think, still too stunned by the abruptness of it all. She bows, rings the altar bell lightly and offers incense. That being done, she walked to where Kagerou and Shigeo sat, dressed in black. Kagerou, though her curse was lifted, still looked relatively young.

"Shigeo-san, Kagerou-san," Yanagi greeted.

"Come, sit with me," Kagerou replied, calm. This was in direct contrast to Shigeo, who was bawling his eyes out.

Obediently, Yanagi sat beside her and took Kagerou's hands into her own.

"Kagerou-san, I… I don't know what to say…"

"I've lived for 400 years. Every single possibility has crossed my mind, including that of finding my own son dead," Kagerou replied in a dead voice. "I watched my husband leave this world before me. Now my own son is taken away from me too. I have no choice but to accept it."

"Recca once said he wanted all 4 of us to live together as a family after we got married…," Yanagi started to reply, then tearing up as she realised that this was never going to happen. "I'm *sniff* sorry... that *sniff* I can… *sniff* no longer be… *sniff* your daughter-in-law…"

"I've always treated you as my daughter, Yanagi," Kagerou said, smiling. "A cute one, too."

"Kagerou-san, I…," was all that Yanagi could manage to utter before hugging Kagerou and letting it all out, crying into her shoulder.

* * *

It is said that there are only two events that are most effective in bringing people together. First is a wedding. Second is a funeral.

Visitors kept coming. Practically all those who joined the Hokage's fight in H&H turned came. Neon turned up with her two sisters, Aki and Miki. The (former) Uruha Ma trio turned up as well. Hiruko and Kamui arrived with Aoi, having finished his chores at Domon's flower store. Kukai, Saicho and Misora came with an entourage of Kuu, who had regained their reputation as a respectable school. Tatesako-sensei, their former high school teacher came as well. Kirin and Rasen, now married and living abroad, were unable to come but sent their condolences. Only Raiha, who disappeared after the conclusion of the Tendou Jigoku affair, did not turn up.

Kukai, as the priest responsible for the wake ceremony, walks to the altar and bows, signifying the start of the ceremony. Lighting incense, he prepares to recite a sutra but pauses and abruptly turns around, facing the seated audience.

"I know this is not common, but I just wanted to say a few words in memory of the deceased," Kukai announced. He looked around and received a few nods of encouragement.

"Recca taught me, an old man many years his senior, what true strength was. He wanted to fight in his own way, and proved that a satisfactory resolution can be found even without killing. Though I thought he was an idiot when he challenged me, I'm glad he proved me wrong," Kukai concluded to a few chuckles from the audience.

"Is there anyone who wishes to speak?" Kukai asked, looking around the room. "If so, please raise your hand and step forward."

A hand went up. Interestingly, It was Neon. Now a professional flautist, the years had been kind to her. She still looked the way she did in H&H. The black dress she wore accentuated her shapely figure and her hair colour made her stand out.

There was silence as she walked forward. Though she was no longer an enemy of the Hokage, she was at best ambivalent towards them. Neon walked to the altar and bowed, then turned around to face everyone.

"I once lived only for Kurei. I would obey every command he gave me. I fought for him and was prepared to lay my life down for him. And I almost did, until Recca managed to prevent me from being impaled."

Neon then looked at Aki and Miki.

"To me, loyalty was the most important thing in my life. But I missed out on something equally important: my sisters. I had forgotten that my family was dear to me. Because of Recca, I can now live peacefully with Aki and Miki."

With that, Neon walked back to her seat.

* * *

Ganko, now 15, took her duties seriously. Domon and Fuuko had already went in to take part in the wake ceremony, giving Ganko instructions to remain a while longer just in case there were guests who were delayed. As she was preparing to pack up, a black car with tinted windows pulled up. It even had a flag of Japan on it.

_Ah, a diplomatic vehicle. _Ganko thought. _Recca-san must be more important than I expected._

The door opened and a tall young man dressed in a black suit stepped out. With his sunglasses and short hair nearly slicked back, Ganko thought that he was rather cool in a government-secret-agent sort of way. He walked toward her.

"Hello," the young man said after taking off his sunglasses, "I presume that this is the wake for Hanabishi Recca?"

"Yes," Ganko replied and gave a polite bow. "The ceremony started not too long ago."

_He looks rather familiar. _

A flash of recognition. Taking a closer look, Ganko's eyes went wide as she realised who this person was. "Aren't you…"

* * *

Many people spoke about Recca. One of his fellow officers spoke about how Recca influenced himself and the younger officers around him. Another recalled how once, during a raid, Recca pushed him out of harm's way, endangering his own life in the process. Some, like Saicho and Menou, spoke about his penchant for justice and fighting spirit. Domon and Fuuko, having known him the longest, spoke about how Recca was a friend and companion to them.

"Is there anyone else?" Kukai asked. "If not, then…"

"Wait, please," a voice called out.

Kukai noticed that the voice belonged to a young man that had just entered. He quickly walked to the front and stopped in front of Kukai. "I would like to speak, if I may," the young man said.

Kukai smiled. "Of course, Mikagami. We have time for one final speech."

* * *

"You cut your hair! I couldn't recognise you!" Fuuko exclaimed.

After the wake, the Hokage decided to gather together for drinks. It was their first reunion for years, with Mikagami having been overseas most of the time. After graduating from high school, he was able to secure a scholarship to a prestigious university overseas. After completing his undergraduate degree (with first class honours), Mikagami was then offered a junior position in the Foreign Ministry. Now an aide to a diplomatic official, he was mainly posted overseas.

Mikagami raised an eyebrow. "Do I really look that different?"

"With long hair, you actually look more like a girl compared to Fuuko… at least from the neck upwards," Domon stated, glancing at Fuuko, who gave him a death stare.

"I really don't think that's the point, Domon," Yanagi said, trying to defuse the situation.

Mikagami smiled, enjoying the antics of his friends. Unfortunately, things were not the same without Recca around, and he was saddened by the thought. Raising his glass, he said, "To Recca."

Domon followed suit. "To Recca."

Fuuko raised her glass. "To Recca."

Yanagi was the last. "To Recca," she said in a soft voice.

They drank quietly in remembrance of their friend - no, their comrade in arms with which they have been through so much together. As they were reminiscing, five men entered the bar. Their yakuza tattoos were clearly visible.

"Now, what do we have here?" the punk said to the rest of them, grinning. They sauntered over to where the four friends were sitting.

"Two chicks, a gorilla and his trainer," another punk answered, smiling evilly.

"Oooh, look at them boobs!" another said, leering at Fuuko.

"Hey, you wanna do a video? The money's good," the first punk, probably the leader, asked Fuuko, eyes on her cleavage. "With that body you'll do just fine."

"I'm not interested. Now go away," Fuuko answered, not even bothering to look at them.

"Now ain't that a shame," the leader snarled. "Perhaps you're new here, so you don't know who we are."

Domon shot them an angry look. "Go bother someone else. Just leave us in peace," he said.

The leader gave a signal and all 5 of them immediately spread out, trying to surround the Hokage. Slowly, Domon and the others stood up, facing them. Many of the patrons, sensing that something bad was going to happen, quickly paid and made their way out. The bartender merely sighed and prepared to call the police and the insurance company.

"I don't like repeating myself. You gonna come with us, or do we make you?" the leader asked, clearly annoyed at the situation.

"Bugger off, assholes," Mikagami replied, sounding bored.

The leader, angry now, decided that enough was enough. "Grab the girls! You know what to do with the rest!" he ordered, advancing on Fuuko.

All hell then broke loose.

One of the punks aimed a punch a Domon's face. Catching the punch with his left palm, he grabbed the fist and pulled hard, taking a long step backwards with his left leg. The over-balanced punk fell forward only to meet Domon's rising knee. The punk doubled over in pain and Domon used this opportunity to bear-hug the punk from behind.

"Oooorrahhhhhhh!" Domon shouted, german-suplexing the punk into a chair with a mighty crash.

Fuuko, facing the leader and another punk, was having a slightly harder time. Dodging a punch by weaving slightly to the left, she pulled off one of the dirtiest tricks in the book. She slammed her knee right between the punk who was trying to punch her. The punk let out a high-pitched squeal that a soprano would be proud of as he bent over clutching his family jewels, tears in his eyes. Fuuko, not one to show mercy, clasped her hands together and smashed them down at the back of his neck. The punk fell and did not rise, totally knocked out.

A loud smash echoed out. Fuuko instinctively turned to the direction of the sound and saw Yanagi holding a mug that she had evidently just smashed into the face of a punk. Grinning, she gave her a thumbs-up. Stunned, the punk staggered back only to be clotheslined by a charging Domon, smashing him so hard the punk actually flipped 270 degrees to land on his front.

The leader paled visibly as he saw his men fall. He fumbled around in his leather jacket and pulled out a switchblade, thumbing a switch, revealing the blade. He pointed it at Fuuko. "I'm gonna cut you up for what you did to my people!" he snarled.

"You mean you can try to cut me up," Fuuko replied, with an emphasis on the word 'try', bracing herself for the incoming stab.

Roaring, the punk leader reared his arm back and thrusted his knife towards Fuuko, who dodged easily. She then counterattacked, punching him three times with a left-right-left combination. As the leader staggered back, Fuuko used her right leg as a pivot, spun to the left and delivered a roundhouse kick with her left leg, connecting with the leader's chest and smashing him to the ground, where he groaned weakly.

Fuuko then turned toward Mikagami to see if he needed help.

Apparently not.

Mikagami was calmly sitting down on a still intact chair, an unconscious punk with half his body through a table lying beside him.

_How the heck did he manage that? _Fuuko thought, mind-boggled, eyes wide.

"Everyone all right?" Domon asked.

"What a mess," Mikagami muttered, looking around.

The punk leader groaned in pain lying on the ground. He was not going to take this lying down. He still had his knife. Gritting his teeth, he raised his knife and threw it at the direction of Yanagi. Fuuko noticed this out of the corner of her eye.

"Watch out!" she yelled, pushing Yanagi away.

Yanagi could only stare, surprised and horrified as the switchblade buried itself in Fuuko's shoulder.

"Aargh!" Fuuko screamed,falling to the floor, grimacing in pain.

"Fuuko!" Yanagi cried out in panic. Domon roared, walked over to the punk and elbow-dropped him right in the stomach, finally knocking him out.

Mikagami came over and knelt down beside Fuuko. "It's a flesh wound," he said, inspecting the would. "It's pretty deep, we need to try to stop the bleeding first."

Together, he and Yanagi managed to pull the switchblade out and put together a makeshift bandage using a tablecloth. Just then, the police arrived.

"What the hell is going on here! Hands up, all of you!" a police officer roared.

"I'll handle this," Mikagami assured them, then walked up to the officer. He pulled out his identification and they spoke together for a few minutes. Apparently satisfied with what Mikagami said, the officer ordered his men to round the thugs up.

"What did you say to them?" Yanagi asked, amazed.

"I told them that these Yakuza were causing trouble and we merely acted in self-defense. My diplomatic status helped quite a bit," Mikagami answered. "Oh, an ambulance is on the way as well."

Taking charge of the situation, Mikagami continued on. "Domon, why don't you take Yanagi home? I'll stay here a while longer and ensure Fuuko's taken care of."

Domon nodded. "All right. Let's go, Yanagi."

* * *

Domon and Yanagi didn't talk much on the way home. Yanagi just wanted to be alone. Though she was a stronger person as compared to the past, she still found it difficult to accept that Recca was just gone. As for Domon, he was worried for Yanagi more than anything. She was a pleasant, kind-hearted girl who deserved better than this.

"Domon-kun."

"Yeah, Yanagi?"

"I'm almost at my place. It's late, you should get going. Thank you for seeing me home," Yanagi said, bowing to Domon.

"Huh, oh er… have a good rest. Take care, ok?" Domon replied, slightly surprised. Had they reached Yanagi's place so soon?

Yanagi turned around and walked down the path. Domon watch her for a few seconds, then called out, "Yanagi!"

She turned around. "Huh?"

I um… don't really know how to say this… but…," Dommon stammered. "If you need someone to talk to, you could come to me. Or Fuuko. Even that ass Mikagami. We're your friends, remember?"

Yanagi smiled. "Thank you, Domon. I will."

With that, she walked back home, leaving Domon to look at her departing form.


End file.
